Adjustable extension-socket.



R. B. BENJAMIN.

ADJUSTABLE EXTENSION SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Z t 1 I Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

O a m 2 WMWNNH w i 2 S m f M? M j R. B. BENJAMIN.

ADJUSTABLE EXTENSION SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1908.

Patented Sept. 10, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

miliiiiiiiliimr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR. TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ACORPOBATION OF ILLINOIS.

AniUsrABLE EXTENSION-SOCKET.

Specification of Letters mm, Patented Se t. 10, 1912.

Application filed July 17, 1908.. Serial No. 444,121,.v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. BENJA- MIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook" and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in. Adjustable Extension- Sockets, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specificatlon.

This invention relates to an electric lighting appliance which is adapted to be inserted into a socket designed for the reception of an incandescent lamp, and to itself receive the lamp and establish the proper connections between the" contacts of the socket and the terminals of the lamp.

The object of the present invention is to Y provide a device of this type which is so con- 2Q structed that the position of the lamp with respect to the direction of the axis of the socket into which the device is inserted may be varied at will. An extension socket hav- 0 ,ing this characteristic has many applications to practical use, among which may be men tioned'the case where the socket with which connection is to .be made is located at the end of. chandelier arm which extends in such a direction that the axis of the socket is inclined to the vertical. A certain type of lamp, having a metal filament, has lately come into extended use, but lamps of this type, although possessing features of great advantage, are not adapted for use in any other than a vertical position, and consequently cannot, with advantage, be used in inclined sockets, as in the case of the chandelier described. With an extension socket which provides 40 for movement between the fixed socket and the lamp it is possible, by. the use of a shade over the lamp, to direct the light from the lamp downward upon a desk or table, even though the fixed socket be inclined to the vertical. Other instances in which such an extension socket may with advantage be I i plug 12. A screw 16 extends longitudinally the object of I used will occur to the reader.

To the accomplishment of this'invention, I provide a device having at one of its ends a plug portion adapted to be inserted into a fixed socket and having contacts located to engage the corresponding contacts of said socket, the device carrying at its opposite end a lamp receptacle havlng lamp terminal-engaging contacts electrically I Figure 1 is an elevational view of a preferred'form of the device applied to a stationary socket extending at an angle with the vertical, and carrying a lamp with its axis disposed vertically; Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section taken through the device on the hue 22 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 shows a longitudinal section taken through the device on the line 33 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is an elevational side view of a member formed of insulating material and which separates certain of the conductin parts, of the device; Fig. 5 is an elevationa view of a detail part; Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a modified'form of the device with a lamp in place therein; and

Figs? and 8 are lognitudinal sectional views of the device, taken on planes at right angles with each other.

Referring first to that form of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, 10 is a fixed socket carried by an arm 11 and extending at an angle of about forty degrees with the vertical. The extension socket comprises an insulating plug 12 which is inserted into the socket 10 and which is provided with an outer contact member in the form of a threaded'metallic sleeve 13, preferably arranged to revolve around the plug 12. Thelug 12 is given a smaller diameter at its ower or innerend 14, and theinner end 15 of the threaded sleeve 13 is drawn in to give this portion a smaller diameter than its body, whereby the sleeve is prevented from being drawn off over the outer end of the and centrally through the plug 12 and serves as a center terminal for engagement with the center contact of'the fixed socket when the device is in place therein. This screw 16 also extends centrally through a base. mem= ber 17 is formed with a portion 18 of re duced diameter which extends into a suitable recess 19 in the s aller end 14 of the plug 12. Clamped bet iiv gen this end of the plug and the shoulder 2 on the insulating member 17 is a dished plate 21, the outer edge 22 of which overlaps the restricted portion 15 of the sleeve 13, whereby electrical communication is effected between the plate 21 and this revolving contact mem-- ber 13. i i V Partly inclosing the insulating base member 17 is a substantially spherical-metallic casing 23 having an opening through which extends the cylindrical portion 18 of the member 17, the edge 24 of the metal around the opening being covered on the inside and outside of the shell by insulating rings 25, a thin metallic eyelet-shaped member 26 extending through the rings 25 and holding the whole firmly together. This eyeletshaped member 26 engages the under side' of the dished plate 21 and is in turn engaged by a plate 27 which surrounds the portion 18 of the insulating member 17 and is provided with a pair of legs 28 which extend downwardly on opposite sides of the member 17. The lower end of each of these legs 28 is pivoted, by means of rivets 29, to fiat strips 30 which extend through an opening in the shell 23, the lower ends 31 of these strips being inserted through suitable openings in the bottom of a cup-shaped threaded receptacle shell 32, and being bent toward each other and secured to the shell 32 by soldering or otherwise. 7

The insulating base 17 is formed with a pair of grooves '33 into which extend the ends of a U-shaped metallic strip 34 these ends being perforated, as shown. (5n the inner end of the screw 16 is a nut 35. having lateral projections 36 which occupy the holes in the ends of the strip 34, whereby the strip 34 is hinged to the nut and at the same time is kept in electrical connection with the center screw 16. The lower portion of the U-shaped strip 34 is'formed with an opening through which extends a hollow rivet 37 which extends through a central opening in the threaded receptacle shell 32 and forms the center contact for engagement with the center terminal of a lamp when inserted into the shell. Under the head of the rivet 37 is a plate 38, and between the plate 38 and the inturned ends 31 of the strips 30 is a' mica insulating disk or washer 39, the latterserving to insulate the rivet 37 and washer 38 from the strips 30. and the bottom'ot theshell. Surrounding the socket 32 is an insulating sleeve 40, and surrounding this sleeve is a metallic shell comprising a tubulanportion 41 and an expanded portion 42 which incloses the lower part of the spherical shell 23 and is provided with a pair of ears 43,

"through which extend screws 44 into the shell 23. The expanded portion 42 arranged to cover at all times the open portion of the shell 23. The screws 44 serve as hinges upon which the parts of the casing move with respect to each other. ,The screws 44, rivets 29 and nut 35 are arranged in line with each other so that all of the hinged parts move on the same axis, and no strain is brought upon any part by swinging the parts of the device relatively to each other;

When it is desired to use an extension socket of this form, in combination with a stationary socket and a lamp, the lamp may be screwed into the receptacle 32 of the device, after which the plug portion of the device will be inserted into the stationary socket and the rotary contact 13 will be turned in. The rotation of the sleeve 13 causes the same to advance into the socket 10 as its screw threads engage those within the socket. When the sleeve 13 has been screwed into the socket as far as possible, and the center contact 16 engages the center contact of the stationary socket the device as a whole is'locked firmly against rotary movement in the socket. If it be desired to against rotation or the possibility of working out under the influence of vibration or from other causes.

In the modified form of device shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the plug 46 is provided with a rotary outer contact member 47, these parts corresponding to the plug and outer contact of the form of device hereinbefore described. The outer contact is provided with an insulating collar 48, and has its lower end 49 drawn in under the outer edge shell. In this case the means for conducting current from the center contact of the plug to the center terminal of the lamp is not constructed in hinged sections but consists hot the center screw 59 fnd a plate 60 into,

which the threaded end of the screw takes, this plate having an end 61 which is curved on a radius having for its center the axis passin through the rivets 56 on which the movab e parts of the device swing relatively to each other. Surrounding the socket 57 is an insulating sleeve 62 which insulates H serted mto a we receiving I termlna s the socket from the outer metallic casing shell 63. The upper portion 64 of this casing shell is dome-shaped and is formed with an opening through whichextends the base 52. A ring 65, of insulating material, surrounds the base '52 and has its lower side shaped to conform to the dome-shaped cas ing, so that, as the parts are moved on their .hinges, the opening in the casing is kept closed at all times.

Having thus described my invention, what I; claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An adjustable extension plug lamp socketcomprisin a plug adapted to be insocket or the like, a conductin member in electrical communication with t e outer contact of said plug, and a lamp receiving socket having its outer-lampducting member and a casln hinged coaxially with the hinge, of sai conducting member, for vinclosing the same.

"3. An adjustable extension plug socket comprising a plug adapted to be inserted nesses.

into a wall socket or the like, the center contact of said plug being extended rearwardly, a conducting member in electrical communication with the outer contact of said plug, a lamp receiving socket having its outerlam -terminal-engaging shell hinged to said con ucting member, and a second. conducting member extending rearwardly from the center contact of said socket and hinged to' the rearward extension of the center contact of said plug.

4. An ad ustable extension plug socket comprisin a plug adapted to be inserted into a-wa socket or the like, the center contact of said plug being extended rearwardly, a -conducting member in electrical communication with the outer contact of said plug, a lamp receiving shell having its outer-lampterminal-engaging shell hinged to said conducting member, a second conducting member extending rearwardly from the center contact of said socket and hinged to the rearward extension of the center contact of said plug, and a casing hinged co-axially with the hinges of said conducting member, for inclosing the same.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two wit- REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. Witnesses CHARLES G. Cora, CHAS. L. Horxms. 

